According to Workforce Management and David Chu (undersecretary of Defense for Personnel) each year 250,000 military personnel leave service, about 150,000 come off active duty and an additional 100,000 Nat'l Guard and Reservists go back to civilian life. In Nov 2007, Dept. of Labor stats noted 22,073 veterans were on unemployment insurance, and 35% of Iraq and Afghan War veterans were homeless. This year, the U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff announced a dramatic rise in those soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, jumping from 30 percent of the wounded population to 65 percent of the population or 8,500 servicemen and servicewomen. CNN reports that last year 165 veterans committed suicide. There are 3.27 million veterans collecting VA disability and 837,000 currently unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Veterans Affairs (May 2011). Between 2010 and 2011, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation has sought to fill positions for Disabled Veteran Outreach, but both times state leaders refused to fund the position. After the parades, and the weekend BBQs, and the endless photo ops, politicians waving flags, using our stumped bodies like some obscene back drop to their 2012 campaign, after the ticker tape falls, Senator, Governor, President, will you remember me?

Roces served as a Marine Rifleman in the US Marines
and is a disabled veteran.

Originally Published on Facebook by Joaquin Rafael Roces on Friday, July 22, 2011 at 7:58pm

Taken by Joao Silva in October 2006 while on patrol with a US unit in Iraq. He managed to photograph a series showing a soldier being shot by a sniper and then recovered by other members of his unit. The series of shots won an honourable mention in the World Press Photo awards.

So, as the Repubs abandon the talks to raise the debt ceiling, I am left wondering whether I will be recieving my VA check in August. It's not enough that under George II, we had the largest and most significant cuts in VA benefits coincide with the largest influx of combat related wounded personnel. Unlike George I brief entanglement in 1999, this war is at 10+ years, so the impact is not just one generation of wounded personnel, but several generations. Unlike me, these men AND women, suffer far worse injuries. Of course, Boehner spent a total of 8 weeks in the US Navy during the Vietnam war, but never completed basic training. Cantor never served in the military but had no qualms pushing for the invasion of Iraq. While other men and women were sent off to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, his son Evan finishes his fourth year at the University of Virginia and Jenna is a Sophomore at Univerisity of Michigan. From Dec 30 2007 to May 29 2011 while Evan was in college 555 Americans died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2003 32,102 Americans have returned wounded, broken and scarred. At least Jenna and Barbara Bush joined the Air Force and served in Iraq. The first photo that pops up in Cantor's official website, is Cantor shaking hands with aging vets. Cantor loves to wrap himself in the American flag, while 'other' Americans are buried underneath it. Then he has the audacity to make his campaign speaches standing on their graves. Now, the two threaten to delay 70 million checks that many Americans depend on from disabled veterans to unemployed Americans to the elderly and disabled. Unlike Boehner and Cantor, for these Americans, these checks are their 'bread and butter' necessary for their survival. The VA estimates that 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. About another1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing. These checks are not an "entitlement" but something they EARNED. Something we owe to them,to forfeit on such a debt would not only mean a fiscal betrayal - forfeiting not only on a debt of numbers, money and dollars, but on a debt of honor as well.

Check out this article from Veterans Today: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/02/01/deficit-hawkoprite-eric-cantor/

Thursday, November 24, 2011

On Novemember 19 2011 Julie Balderson and Joaquin Roces participated in a conference for the Northern Nevada Chapter of the California Teachers of English to Students of Other Languages (CA-TESOL). The conference was at the Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno NV. Ms. Balderson and Mr. Roces co-presented for a workshop on "Recognizing Linguicism & Linguistic Discrimination in Education." Mr. Roces addressed the international perspective of Linguicism while Ms. Balderson addressed it's implications in American society and the classroom.

Ms. Balderson is an interpreter and instructional assistant for the deaf and hard of hearing for the Carson City School District. Mr. Roces coorditanted cultural and educational exchange programs for UNR's International Center working with USAID and US State Department programs. There was an audience of ten teachers and administrators through out Northern Nevada and California and there was a lively exchange and discussion between the audience and the presenters.

Ms. Balderson started by defining linguicism. Robert Phillipson called this “practical” prejudice linguicism, which is the assembly of "ideologies, structures and practices which are used to legitimate, effectuate and reproduce an unequal division of power and resources (both material and immaterial) between groups which are defined on the basis of language" (as cited in Daly, 1995, para. 4). Ms. Balderson covered the role of linguistic diversity in the formation of student identity , and the development of multicultural competency. She discussed effective and appropriate strategies for educating and combatting linguicism in the classroom.

Mr. Roces discussed the politics involved in asserting ethnic identity through language. All historical-natural languages, considered as internal linguistic systems, display equal potentialities; the essential difference among them is given solely by their social evaluation. Thus, according to their acquired and/or ascribed degree of power, some languages tend to be considered as more ‘prestigious’ or ‘dominant’ languages, whereas others are considered rather ‘stigmatised’ or ‘dominated’ languages. Obviously the symbolic markers of ‘prestige’ and ‘stigma’ are not absolute values; they may be seen as elements in a power-game involving confrontation and relation between the speech communities concerned.

In 2009, Mr. Roces traveled to Algeria on behalf of the US State Department's Youth Leadership Program. Mr. Roces taught a cultural and intensive English language class. The official language of the country is Arabic, but Berbers who are the indigenous people of the region consider the Arabs no different than the French or Romans.The berbers speak their own dialect of Tamazight.They also speak impeccable French and tend to gravitate towards European or French culture.Thus your fluency in either language immediately marks you with cultural prestige or stigma.Those who speak French, and speak it well, are believed to be more educated, open minded, liberal in dress and attitudes.Those who speak Arabic, are considered to be religious conservatives, close minded, rural and uneducated.Arabic speakers claim the thefrancophiles are sell-outs to European colonialism, and visa versa – Francophiles separate themselves from the Arabization of their identity and the ‘stereotypes’ associated with it.These two languages then act as the brackets ends of a social spectrum, and proficiency in one language or another indicates the speaker’s place within the socio-political spectrum.It identifies which tribe or region you come from, your heritage, education and how much social power you wield.

The article from the Journal of Ethnic Migration Studies (Vol. 29, No. 5: 865-883 September 2003) reported that central European communities on the western side of the border are not interested in learning the language of their eastern neighbours. Eastern communities, on the other hand, are stronglymotivated to learn western languages. The importance attributed to English as the ‘language of globalisation’ was common to both sides.

The article drew the conclusion that the languages situated on the western side of the former Iron Curtain are the more prestigious languages. Essentially this derives from the various structures of factual or symbolic power that support them, even more so after the definitive ‘fall’ of the political-economical system formerly under Soviet control.Remember linguicism is about power projection and tied to that end iseconomics.With the fall of the Soviet Empire, eastern communities saw economic viability in the triumph of western capitalism, and failure in the collapse of the communist hegemony under the Soviet Union.

Mr. Roces studied Russian while he was in the Marines. He also took four years of Russian at the University of Nevada and studied Soviet Foreign Policy and Russian History. For five years with the International Center, Mr. Roces worked with international visitors from Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkministan,Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. He was the office's specialist in the region. In the Russian experience, as ethnic communities and nationalities were folded into the Soviet mold, their individual languages were 'Russofied.' Under the Communist ideology, children are brought up being taught to have an egalitarian belief system, of social and economic equality. Yet, non-Russianethnics would have to learn Russian as the universal language.This policy of indigenous language eradiction under a policy of forced assimilation was intentional, albeit subtle, projection of power and dominance over a minority culture.

The Russians recognized that the unique ‘character’ or ‘mentality’ of each ‘people’ was created by their mother tongue, as well as on the ‘one nation, one language’ principle.To eradicate the “mother tongue’ was also a way to eradicate the individual cultural identity.In 2008, over 15 years after the fall of the Soviet hegemony, Mr. Roces was working with a team of college educators from Kazakhstan, highly educated and intelligent academics, leaders of their newly independent country, were still very Russofied in their education -even with the fall of the Soviets, their educational system still mirrors a Russian model.One educator was quoted as saying that they owed a lot to the Russians for bringing education and civilization to their country. This is a people that was part of the eastern anchor of the Persian Empire and the Silk Trade.

Similar to the east-west phenomena illustrated in the Journal of Ethnic Migration Studies article, in course of Mr. Roces' work with visitors from Central Asia, he also has noticed the same phenomena on a north-south axis. Ethnic Tajiks and Uzbeks migrate north to oil and gas rich Kazakhstan to work in the oil fields and gas lines, and ethnic Kazakhs migrate north across the Russian border to work in the construction trades (sound familiar?). Economics drive this migratory pattern and learning Russian is considered needed and in fact recognized as the'langua franca' of business by the southern neighbors, but Russians do not feel compelled to learn the language of their southern neighbors.

The American experience closely follows this model with the suppression of the indigenous tribes and culture.In Native American history, there is a period of termination and forced assimilation from 1830 to 1964 in which the Native Americans were prohibited to speak their own language.Their young was forcibly gathered and removed from their traditional homes, and forced into “American Schools” and was taught English and forbidden to speak their native tongue.Then after 18 years they were returned to their homes, were they could not communicate with the elders and other adults in the community.Our children also grow up being taught an egalitarian belief system of social and economic equality under a democratic hegemony, yet it is not Navajo, Cherokee or Paiute that is being taught in our schools.In fact many of those languages have fallen to obsolescence.Even in public school the foreign languages taught are “European Languages” and not native to this region or continent. With the current xenophobia over immigration from Mexico, Spanish has fallen from favor because it is no longer associated with Europe and is now associated with illegal immigration from Central and Latin America. There is now a growing public sentiment that we should not be teaching Spanish in our schools even though we have taught in for decades. What caused the shift in public opinion towards Spanish in public schools? Clearly the social evaluation of Spanish in America has shifted and the language and those who use the language are now stigmatized reflecting the confrontation and power relation between the speech communities of Spanish speakers and English speakers.

The linguistic ideology of ‘one nation; one language’ gives rise to three key issues of linguistic ecology: the restriction of societal bilingualism to minority groups; the risk of minority language endangerment or obsolescence; and the close ties between the prestige or stigma of the language and resulting social power. Employers might assume, for example, that an employee who speaks American English with a midwestern or northern accent is more intelligent (and thus more competent) than an employee who uses Appalachian English. Teachers might assume that a student who uses so-called standard English is more respectful of authority and more intelligent than a student who uses Ebonics.Landlords might assume that a person whose first language is English will take better care of a rental property than a tenant who speaks English with a Spanish accent.

These assumptions are not inconsequential thoughts. People act on their ideas, and, as a result, prejudice becomes active discrimination.Employment, promotions, grades, recommendations, and business agreements are just a few of the things that might be affected (negatively or positively) by reactions to the ways a person uses language in speech or writing.Individuals’ private prejudices might move them to take public action so that their condemning opinions are transformed into corporate policies; educational paradigms; and local, state, and federal laws—prejudice in practice, one might say.

Dovidio and Gaertner poses three psychological supports for such behavior. As humans, we are predisposed to cognitive categorization. By grouping people into different categories, it allows us to see the differences that exist between 'others' compared to the groups we've put ourselves in. By recognizing these differences, we are then motivated to control our environment around us when we interact with outgroups. Americans, as children, are brought up being taught to have an egalitarian belief system. We want justice and equality for all minorities. We are also taught about the racial traditions that symbolize American history. These two sets of incompatible values conflict with one another, resulting in inconsistent behavior towards members of outgroups. We feel the internal negative affect based on these two sets of values and it comes out in our behaviors and attitudes on other people. As elluded to before, people act on their ideas, and, as a result, prejudice becomes active discrimination.

It is difficult to fight linguistic prejudice because the general public may be slow to condemn it or may even be skeptical about its existence because linguicism is such an insidious process. In addition, while most modern linguistics scholars acknowledge the existence of linguicism, their views have little influence on the general public (Smitherman, 2000). The burden of preventing linguicism and countering its effects must fall elsewhere.

If we really want to fight linguicism, according to Zuidema, all schools must heed the call to arms, and English language arts classrooms are among the most appropriate venues for taking action against linguicism. Because the classroom “is a major player in shaping language attitudes, and the classroom that is particularly crucial for the formation of ideas about language is that of the K–12 level” (Smitherman, 2000, p. 396), English language arts teachers should create opportunities to shape informed, positive student attitudes about language diversity for all students.

Ms. Balderson pointed out that some literacy educators have, appropriately, taken up the challenge of teaching against linguistic prejudice. As Delpit (1998) argued, it is “possible and desirable to make the actual study of language diversity a part of the curriculum for all students” (p. 19). The Standards for the English Language Arts (International Reading Association & National Council of Teachers of English, 1996) stated that students should “develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.”

Ms. Balderson spoke about dispelling some of the myths about language which can lead to a change of attitude in the student toward others and the self. She discussed the 4 myths associated with linguicism. Myth 1: English must obey the rules of grammar (Zuidema 2005). Ms. Balderson discussed the difference between 'bad grammar' and 'bad communication.' She points out that grammar is the organic patterns of a language, or descriptions of these patterns. Recognising this, it is correct to state that English must obey grammatical rules. However, bad grammer does nor necessarily equate to bad or broken communication. Many nonlinguists define grammar as the rules of use (which Ms. Balderson refered to as usage). Most people believe that observing the rules of usage is the same as knowing the grammar of a language. These prescriptive rules of usage assume great importance, so that many English speakers and writers are familiar with admonitions from their 3rd Grade teachers such as “Don’t say ‘ain’t,’” and “Ask ‘may I?’—I know that you can,” and “Don’t end a sentence with a preposition.”

Most people will admit, however, that breaking these kinds of socially imposed rules does not actually impede anyone’s understanding of the message a person is attempting to communicate. If a person were to say to the other "I ain't gonna do that." The listener may bristle at the usage, but still understand that the speaker's resistance and refusal to do the task. It may not be pretty, but it gets the job done.

It is important to introduce students to the distinctions between natural grammar and what Zuidema calls 'taste-based grammar early in efforts to teach against linguicism. Understanding that English must obey some kinds of grammar rules while having the freedom to disregard others is key to correcting other common misconceptions about language variation.

Myth 2: Some dialects and languages don’t have grammatical rules (Zuidema 2005). This is an argument that is frequently used to disparage stigmatized language systems such as Ebonics, Appalachian English, and Hawaiian Creole English. Instead of viewing these systems as patterned and rule governed,many people call them “slang” or “street talk” or resort to cruel labels that show blatant disrespect for the speakers themselves. Ms. Balderson shared with the class here experience as a interpreter for the deaf how some 'speakers' dismiss sign langugae as a "monkey language" because there had been an attempt to teach sign language to chimpanzees. She also spoke about the exsitance of linguistic prejudice within the deaf community based on diffrent 'dialects' within sign language as a whole. The best way for students to learn that stigmatized languages and dialects really are rule governed is to discover it for themselves through a series of guided activities.

Myth 3: Standard English is better than other varieties (Zuidema 2005). Ms. Balderson discussed the concept of English as a "moving target." One of these errors is the belief that good English is the everyday spoken language of the most educated and intelligent people. That it is relegated to the pedigreed 'blue bloods' of our society.

Many of English speakers also believe that with enough education and practice, they—like educated speakers in some Olympian Eutopia—will be able to let loose a flurry of grammatically perfect prose every time they open their mouths. In actuality, standard English is an abstract ideal based not on speech but on the model of written language (Lippi-Green, 1997). Another problem with the myth that standard English is good English is that standard English, Ms. Balderson pointed out "is a moving target." The norms for standard English are not identical in all communities. Furthermore, there are two sets of norms—the informal standard and the formal standard. A Bostonian may struggle with Appalachian English or Cajun Creole. While someone from England bristles at how Americans butcher the "Queen's English." Each variety has it's own set of grammatical rules although they are all part of the same language tree. For example, for 'yanks' it is acceptable to say "real nice"and "real cool." For the Brits on the otherhand, the proper way is to say "really nice" and "really cool."

Ms. Balderson suggested one way for students to investigate this idea is by analyzing their collected speech and writing samples to determine which ones are most likely to showcase formal standard English (Zuidema p. 671). Learners soon discover that the best English is usually found in writing and in speech based on writing, such as news broadcasts. Students also should analyze the differences between their own written and spoken language patterns. These activities help students to understand that most people, no matter how well educated, cannot hope to consistently speak with the polish of revised and edited writing—the kind of language use which is idealized as standard.

Ms. Balderson states that “Good” and “bad” language are subjective social constructions; and thastudents must hear teachers acknowledge that nonstandard register, dialect or other language is sometimes the most appropriate choice.

Myth 4: English is not as good as it used to be, and it is getting worse (Zuidema 2005). Next Ms. Balderson spoke about the widespread feeling that the English language is a fragile object and is "constantly under siege." A false nostalgia for an era than never exsisted. This is the arguement that acknowledging the

value of stigmatized language systems (currently it is Spanish) will change the English language, eventually resulting in its decline or loss. English—like other “live” languages—is constantly

changing. Some words or phrases become linguistic fads; others fall into disuse or “misuse.” Words like "taco," "yoga," "sushi" and "humus" are words that have been folded into everyday vernacular. Ms. Balderson points out the fallacy of linguistic purity. We insist that French be taught by someone from France or that Spanish should be taught by someone in Spain. By the same idea we stigmatize other varieties such as Mexican Spanish or Algerian French as tainted. But, we do not require our children to be taught English by someone from London or Eaton.

Rules of taste change, and the pronunciations, uses, conjugations, and spellings of words are altered over time to adjust to new contexts, speakers, purposes, and audiences. Zuidema calls this adaptability “survival of the fittest”when we discuss other kinds of evolution; it is evidence of the resilience of language and not a matter for concern. Ms. Balderson said that language is not some sort of fragile object to be protected. Flexibility in a language is an asset and a strength, not a cause for concern. She believed that teaching students about the history of English helps students understand why language changes.

An example was brought up during a discussion on Ebonics. The use of "axe" versus "ask." When an African American uses the word "axe" he or she is judged to be using "bad English" - he is judged to be uneducated and can't speak proper English. In English With an Accent, Lippi-Green (1997) wrote,

[W]e regularly demand of people that they suppress or deny the most effective way they have of situating themselves socially in the world. You may have dark skin, we tell them, but you must not sound Black. You can wear a yarmulke if it is important to you as a Jew, but lose the accent. Maybe you come from the Ukraine,but can’t you speak real English? If you didn’t sound so corn-pone, people would take you seriously. You’re the best salesperson we’ve got, but must you sound so gay on the phone? (pp. 63–64)

But the truth of the matter is that 'Axe' or 'Aks' is proper English, or at least it was. However, the "aks/axe" form of "ask" is just as old -- if not older, than the "ask" form itsellf-- and dates back to Old English. The best source is the Oxford English Dictionary (second edition 1989) which gives these usages (By Karen Nakamuraon March 6, 2008, on a talk on deaf identity and language ideologies at Swarthmore college) :

From these examples one can see that 'aks/ax' was a valid pronunciation from 1000 CE ("acsian") through at least 1549 CE ("He axeth"). If anyone "axe," just say that no one lesser than Chaucer "spelt it" that way. This is an example of the durability and flexibility of the language and how it is constantly changing.

However, Ms. Balderson added, that it is not enough to dispel widely held myths about language variation; we also need to expose how myths and misconceptions are perpetuated so that students can participate in efforts to resist, subvert, and combat linguicism (Zuidema 2005). The first step is raising the awareness and educating those who hold the power in the classroom. The ubiquitous problem of linguistic prejudice deserves significant attention in all schools. We ought to incorporate language study at all levels in freestanding units or in partnership with literature, grammar, speech, and composition studies.While language study is not likely to eradicate language-based discrimination, it may serve to diminish our students’ and our own willingness to use language “as both a channel and an excuse for expressing some of our deepest prejudices” (Daniels, 1983, p. 5).

Zuidema suggested that students can take positive action in response to their learning and make their research efforts more consequential by offering writing assignment options that work toward eliminating the propagation of linguistic prejudice and the practice of language-based discrimination. Students can compose fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction that reflect on linguicism; they can write articles that expose linguistic prejudice; and they can write letters, proposals, public service announcements, and other documents that seek to combat linguicism. Publishing students’ writings or delivering them to the intended audiences can empower students as activists in their world and make their learning meaningful in a way that writing for the teacher alone cannot do.

The above transcript was put together using the powerpoint presentation created by Ms. Balderson and Mr. Roces for the CATESOL presentation on 19 November 2011, from their individual lecture and research notes, and their key resource materials and articles:

Joaquin with Public Defender, Rich McCauley at the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation (2000)

Robert Kennedy once said it is not just bravery under fire or the bravery to make sacrifices, but the bravery to discard the comfort of illusion, to do away with false hopes and alluring promises. I believe this is a great nation and a great people. Any who seek to comfort rather than speak plainly, reassure rather than instruct, promise satisfaction rather than reveal frustration; they deny that greatness and drain that strength.

Printing Instructions

WARNING: DO NOT HIGHLIGHT AND PRINT BLOGS. You are free to copy blogs by Joaquin R Roces. To print, click first on article title (highlighted in orange), the selected article will then reappear on its own. Then you can print the article by using the print menu on your toolbar or navigator. If you print directly from the site, you will print the entire site (52+ pages).

From Algeria to Reno, culture to culture

By Geralda Miller • gmiller@rgj.com • August 16, 2009

FALLEN

Right where it belongs....

Right Where It Belongs by Nine Inch Nails

See the animal in his cage that you built-Are you sure what side you're on?Better not look him too closely in the eyeAre you sure what side of the glass you are on?See the safety of the life you have built;Everything where it belongs.Feel the hollowness inside of your heartAnd it's all...Right where it belongs...

What if everything around youIsn't quite as it seems?What if all the world you think you knowIs an elaborate dream?And if you look at your reflectionIs it all you want it to be?What if you could look right through the cracks?Would you find yourself...Find yourself afraid to see?

What if all the world's inside of your headAre just creations of your own?Your devils and your gods;All the living and the dead;And you're really all alone?You can live in this illusionor you can choose to believe.You keep looking but you can't find the woodsWhile you're hiding in the trees.

What if everything around youIsn't quite as it seems?What if all the world you used to knowIs an elaborate dream?And if you look at your reflectionIs it all you want it to be?What if you could look right through the cracksWould you find yourself...Find yourself afraid to see?

(Nine Inch Nails)

2009 Global Gala

Joaquin Roces with Mrs. Dawn Gibbons, Nevada's First Lady

Community Connections Delegation from Russia

Russian visitors at Pyramid Lake, NV (July 2008)

Shari'a Judges from Jordan, IVLP 2006

Joaquin coordinated a program for Jordanian judges. Pictured above the judges explore Tahoe's western shore on Nov. 11 2006

Joaquin escorted a delegation from Turkmenistan to San Francisco in 2006

Turkmen delegates were here to meet with US Road Safety officials. Joaquin arranged a cultural trip to San Francisco. Here delegates pose with a California surfer.

2008 Open World Delegation from Kazakhstan

Iranian Journalist and visiting Brookings Scholar speaks at University of Nevada Reno

Joaquin guides Najmeh Bozorgmehr around Virginia City (Sept 2006). Najmeh works for Financial Times in Tehran.

2007 Open World Program on Environmental Tourism

Joaquin facilitated a program involving tourism officials from Tajikistan. Here Joaquin is with the program facilitator, Marina Kadyrova, and tourism official, Bakhtiyor Hamdamov.

Tajik delegation visits Pyramid Lake

As part of their cultural experience in Reno, the visitors travelled to the Pyramid Indian Reservation.

Joaquin facilitated a program in which 9 Middle East Journalist covered the Nevada Caucus (Jan. 08)

Joaquin and his sons pose with Moroccan journalist, Amina Koundi, at the home of Washoe Co. Republican Party President Heidi Smith

Democratic Vice Chair, Alison Gaulden, speaks to Mid East press at the Nevada Caucus at Reno High

Alison explains the democratic side of the process. The journalists covered both Republican and Democratic caucuses. Local and international papers covered the event.

Turkish MPs meet with State Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert in 2006

The Turkish parliamentarians visit Nevada's capital and sit in on a legislative session.

Fehmi Oztunc, a Turkish parliamentarian and Khurd, enjoys a meal with Reno teen

Mr. Oztunc at a reception dinner with Joaquin's son, James.

NNIC hosts Sen. Joe Biden at the University of Nevada Reno's campus.

The senator and presidential candidate spoke at the University regarding the future of American foriegn policy. Here Sen. Biden poses with officers of UNR's Model UN Club.

Civic Engagement Project

Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada

Civic Engagement Volunteers

Kat Baltierra, Sydney Brown and Amanda Gabbert , TMCC High School seniors, Canvassed over 100 homes on May 3rd 2008 and two special events. To date our volunteers have collected 120 voter registrations and pledges to vote in the Novemeber Elctions. GREAT JOB Everyone!

County Commissioner attends community event

Pledges to vote in November 2008

Kat Baltierra, TMCC High School, Civic Engagement Volunteer

Kat, who is a senior in Ms. Gardner's class at TMCC High School, stated that people were very excited to see young people actively participating in our democratic process and added that people generally had a positive attitude towards the volunteers.

For election 08, youth voter turnout swells

"It's my future," said the young Las Vegas resident. "What I really don't understand is why there aren't more young people here because ... we are the ones who are going to have to live with the problems of the future." - csmonitor.com

To Contact Erik Holland: Erikreno@aol.com

Erik Holland, Voters for Responsible Growth

Erik Holland, with Voters for Responsible Growth, and former candidate for Mayor

Holland pointed out that the Spring Mountain development conflicts with the idea of concentrating growth close to existing development. There also was concern about the cost of providing police, fire and other services to Spring Mountain.

Washoe County Commissioner Bob Larkin

On 3/11/08 conceded that the Spanish Springs area is already "over-allocated" in terms of water needs and usage (qoute provided by PLAN). According to Reno Gazette Journal, Larkin was quoted that imported water would be needed there (Spanish Springs) eventually.

Water won't be shut off to customers of Panther Valley Water Users Association; RGJ Article 3/20/08

Panther Valley is an area in north Reno that is south of the North Virginia Street and U.S. 395 connection. Land uses in the area include both residential and industrial. It is estimated to use 50 million gallons of water. Back payments and allegations of theft almost cut off water services to this area earlier this year.

US Marine Lt. Col. Couch speaks out against torture

Lt. Col. Couch's prepared remarks to the ABA

See Lt. Col. V. Stuart Couch's prepared remarks1 to the American Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section, which on Friday presented him its Minister of Justice Award, given annually to a prosecutor for demonstrating exemplary legal ethics.

British Generals Criticize Rumsfeld

General could be demoted over Tillman death

FORMER SECRETARIES OF STATE ON THE BIDEN-GELB PLAN

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: "[T]he idea of the... constitution of Iraq [as] written, which allows for and mandates, in fact, a great deal of regional autonomy, is appropriate. I think there are certain central powers that a government needs. Some of it has to do with the oil revenue and various other parts. So without endorsing any plan, I do think reality here sets in that there will be regional autonomy."

[W]hen asked about Senator Biden's plan, I have said that, in fact, it is an attempt to keep the country together, which I do believe is what it is about. I'm just talking about in the long run what might happen that we do have to watch out for. But I think it is very clear from my reading of the plan that it is done in order to keep the country together. And I do think that is an essential point. [Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, January 31, 2007]

Former Secretary of State James Baker: "...I was and still am interested in the proposal that Senator Biden and Les Gelb put forward with respect to the idea that ultimately you may end up with three autonomous regions in Iraq, because I was worried that there are indications that that might be happening, in fact, on the ground anyway and, if it is, we ought to be prepared to try and manage the situation. So we have a sentence in our report that says, 'If events were to move irreversibly in this direction, the United States should manage the situation to ameliorate the humanitarian consequences, contain the violence and minimize regional stability." [Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, January 30, 2007]

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger: "I'm sympathetic to an outcome that permits large regional autonomy. In fact, I think it is very likely that this will emerge out of the conflict that we are now witnessing."

"If the Iraqis cannot solve the problems that have been described, I've told the Chairman privately, that I thought that this [a federal system in Iraq] was a possible outcome, and at the right moment we should work in the direction that will (inaudible) for maximum stability and for maximum chances of peace." [Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, January 31, 2007]

It is not about the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer.

About Me

Joaquin is the grandson of former Congressman Joaquin "Titong" Roces of the Philippines. Grandpa was also a journalist for the Manila Times and served as a Consular General for the Philippine Consulate in Taiwan. Joaquin is also a senior at the University of Nevada Reno majoring in International Affairs with a focus on the Middle East. Joaquin studied French and Russian as well as Arabic. Joaquin also served as a US Marines from 1985-1988 when he was medically discharged for wounds received in the line of duty. He has traveled to the far east, north Africa and Europe. He is a writer and registered artist with the Sierra Arts Foundation, as well as a distinguished member of the International Society of Poets. He has written for the Reno Gazette Journal on Special Assignment. Joaquin has served his home state of Nevada in the public sector under the Governor's office and the Nevada Indian Commission. He has legal professional for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Northern Nevada's Indian Tribes from 1997-2007. He is a member of The Our Lady of Snows Parish and is active within his faith community. In 2008, he received the Thornton Peace Prize from the University of Nevada Reno.

Arizona

The show me your papers state

Arizona: The NEW "Show Me" state

Hi,

Do you want to get a FREE sticker to show your frustration about the new Arizona immigration law SB 1070? Presente.org is giving them away (even free shipping) to spread the word that we won't stand for racial profiling.